There are a few changes in the Malavita this season, which are mainly the flex rating and the straps. Previous years the flex was rated at a 6/10, this year it is a little softer at at 5/10.

The older straps (Asym Reactstrap + Gettagrip Capstrap) have been updated and changed to the newer Asym Hammockstrap and Super Grip Capstrap.

The Asym Reactstrap (ankle strap) is similar in style to the strap used on the high end Genesis binding from last year. The main difference is that it keeps the asymetrical shape from the older Malavita straps.

The soft and grippy Super Grip Capstrap is a little bit of an improvement on the already good capstrap from older models.

Features of the Burton Malavita 2016:

Single-Component Baseplate Construction

5/10 on the Burton Feel Rating scale

30% Short-Glass/Nylon Composite

Re:Flex Baseplate Construction

Canted Living Hinge

Zero-Lean Hi-Back

Heel Hammock

DialFlad

Hi-Back Wing on Reaper version

Asym Hammockstrap

Flex Slider

Super Grip Capstrap

Re:Flex FullBED Cushioning System

AutoCANT FullBED, B3 Gel

Re-Ground Materials

Baseplate

The Re:Flex baseplate is cored out, and has a minimized design so that it keeps the weight of the bindings down, and still lets the board flex naturally.

In the box you’ll get 3 sets of discs, so that you can mount the bindings to normal 4×4 boards, the older style Burton 3D as well as Burton and Endeavor Channel Boards. At least with the Re:Flex version you are safe knowing that you can use your bindings no matter what board you might end up buying in the future.

Hi-Backs

The have something called Canted Living Hinge, which just means that you can adjust the forward lean and the rotation of the highbacks independantly.

If you are a jibber, or have a loose and relaxed style of riding, you can change the forward lean of the bindings to 0 degrees. Changing them to a more aggressive forward lean can be done while you are out riding, with gloves on. You just need to spin the little dial on the bottom of the highbacks for easy changes.

They also have a feature called the Heel Hammock, which is a soft and stretchy material that wraps around the heel of your boots, and is made so that you can ride with the straps a bit looser, but still have good heelside response. Good for those people who are riding with no forward lean.

One of the more popular versions, is the highback with the wing. The top of the highback wraps around the outside of the boot a little, so that you get a little extra support for pressing. Only available on the Reaper colorway in the 2016 version.

Cushioning/Padding

The bindings have AutoCANT padding, which is made of two densities of EVA under your boot.

Softer on the inside of the bindings (towards the center of your board) and stiffer on the outside. What is means is that the canting will adjust by itself, to whatever is most comfortable to you.

Same as last year, they have Double Take buckles, that use ladders with two sets of steps on them. The top of the ladders have a diagonal pattern, as well as a regular one on the back. What it means is that it is much easier to get the ladder to lock into the ratchet and it is made to hold it much tighter – in real life though I didn’t notice any difference.

How they ride

I used the Large Malavita’s with my size 10.5 ThirtyTwo TM Two boots. I have owned a few pairs of Burton bindings in both the medium and large, as I am in a crossover size.

Burton mediums fit size 8-11, and the large fit 10 or bigger. The mediums adjust to fit the ThirtyTwo fairly big footprint without a problem, but the large size has a nicer fit.

There seems to be a bit more coverage on the larges, and although the straps get close to being as tight as they go, they hold the boot down very tightly.

This was the first binding that I used that has the Double Take buckles/ladders, which do work better than I expected. Rather than a normal ratchet and ladder system which has a horizontal notches on the ladder, this has diagonal steps on one side, and horizontal on the other.

Once you get the ladder one click into the ratchet, it is held in very tightly, which was actually quite a surprise. They are quick to do up, and easy to undo, the double sided ladder doesn’t grab on the way out, which is nice.

The buckles are built into the ankle and toe straps, so if the ratchet/buckle was ever to break, you would have to replace the whole strap. Probably not a big deal with Burton’s warranty, but something to consider.

They have plenty of padding, bumps are easily absorbed. There is a bit of flex, but overall they give you a lot of support, and I was happy using them in all sorts of terrain.

Overview

The Burton Malavita is going to be a good pair of bindings for someone who does a lot of freestyle riding, but wants something that is going to work well no matter where they ride. They are comfortable, adjustable, and have enough flex to be responsive without being too stiff.